Priority Sector:

This award recognizes outstanding performance amongst 8 ASEAN Economic Community Priority Integration Sectors, promotes the sectors and makes ASEAN a more prominent segment of the world economy while also encourages regional cohesiveness and global competitiveness. 

The 8 priority sectors are:

1. Tourism

2. Logistics

3. Real estates

4. Textiles

5. Healthcare

6. Handicraft

7. Fintech

8. Agri-based Product

SME Excellences

Growth category

This award honors companies that have outstanding commercial success and sustainable growth. Submissions should demonstrate initiative to bold new ventures, including evidence of sustainable growth and commercial success to levels that are outstanding for the size of the applicant’s operations.

Employment category

This award applies for companies can exhibit the provision of a stimulating and supportive workplace. Qualified applicants for this award should demonstrate how its people development strategies have created a committed, effective and motivated workforce.

Innovation category

This award is a proof of the ability to create, nurture and develop new products or services. Qualified applicants should demonstrate how they have differentiated themselves in their industry. Achievements can include, but are not limited to the invention, design, production, performance, marketing and distribution of their product or service.

CSR category

Companies that demonstrate a high standard of responsible business practices will receive this prestigious endorsement. Submissions should provide evidence of how their mainstream Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) operation strategy results in a positive impact in the workplace, the marketplace, the environment or the community.

Skill Development

This award honors outstanding businesses that demonstrated a significant contribution to human resource development. Applicants are capable of developing a skilled workforce relevant to the needs for current and future working requirements that will contribute to ASEAN prosperity through a competitive and dynamic ASEAN economic community. 

The Skills Development Award recognizes companies who have contributed significantly to the human resource development of their own workforce as not-for-profit activities and/or as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) to the community they serve and to education and training institutions, especially TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) institutions, they work with. Therefore, training and capacity building programs for profit making will not be rewarded in the scoring process.  

We promote inclusiveness in human resource development for this award; therefore, providing statistical data that show diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, and disadvantaged groups are encouraged and rewarded. The diversity may include the company personnel and the clientele, or the trainees participated in the programs.